Hudson Institute Events Podcast

Jennifer Carpenter, president of the American Waterways Operators and the American Maritime Partnership, sheds light on the critical role of the U.S. maritime industry in national security. She discusses the alarming maritime dominance of China, which dwarfs U.S. capabilities in shipbuilding and fleet size. The need for a skilled workforce and legislative support is emphasized to strengthen America's maritime presence. Carpenter advocates for initiatives like the Ships for America Act to revitalize shipbuilding and expand the U.S. fleet amidst fierce global competition.

Despite economic reforms and anti-corruption initiatives pursued by Fidel Castro’s successors, the kleptocracy established in the country’s 1959 communist revolution persists. Front companies controlled by the military and security services continue to dominate the Cuban economy. Although the regime blames US sanctions for the island’s ongoing economic and humanitarian crisis, recent reporting suggests that these regime-connected entities have illicitly hoarded billions of dollars.While the secretive nature of Cuba’s regime means that the inner workings of its kleptocracy are not widely understood, the costs of corruption are fully apparent to Cuba’s population. Nationwide protests in recent years suggest that the regime’s kleptocracy, once a tool for entrenching its power, now undermines its legitimacy and has become a major vulnerability.As the Trump administration indicates a “tough” new approach toward Havana, join Hudson for an expert discussion on how kleptocracy operates in Cuba and its implications for American policy.

China’s control of commercial shipping and shipbuilding gives it a potentially decisive military advantage over the United States. The Chinese navy can build and repair its fleet for a fraction of the cost the US would incur. If competition ever turns into conflict, China could use its maritime dominance to choke the American economy and scale up its fleets at an extraordinary pace.Hudson will welcome Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Todd Young (R-IN) to discuss their proposal to restore America’s shipping and shipbuilding industries to help deter Chinese aggression.

Japan’s first minority government in three decades faces dynamic domestic and international challenges. For Tokyo to navigate these major security, diplomatic, and economic issues, policymakers will need to understand perspectives from across the Japanese political spectrum.Japan Chair Kenneth R. Weinstein will moderate a bipartisan panel featuring Japanese Diet members: Itsunori Onodera, Shinijiro Koizumi, and Kimi Onoda of the Liberal Democratic Party; and Koichiro Gemba of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. They will discuss how the Japanese government should approach domestic political questions, its partnership with America, and Japan’s role in the world.

Boualem Sansal, a French Algerian author arbitrarily detained in Algeria, has long criticized political Islam and state-sponsored antisemitism in the country. For years, the Algerian regime harassed him for his activism, including a courageous visit to Israel. Since his November 2024 arrest, which has drawn widespread international condemnation, Sansal’s situation has worsened. He has been held in inhumane conditions and fallen gravely ill.François Zimeray, an international human rights lawyer and former French ambassador for human rights, is Sansal’s legal counsel. But Algeria has repeatedly denied Ambassador Zimeray entry into the country and targeted him in an antisemitic smear campaign.With Research Fellow Zineb Riboua, Ambassador Zimeray will examine the legal, political, and strategic implications of Sansal’s detention and what it reveals about freedom of expression under authoritarian regimes.

Hudson Institute’s Center on Europe and Eurasia will host its third Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Strategy Summit. Timed to coincide with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s spring meetings, the conference will give senior CEE and European Union officials an opportunity to discuss the business and economic climate of their region with an American audience.The summit also aims to reinforce ties between the United States and its Eastern European allies. While this year’s discussion will once again focus on geoeconomics, there will be an added emphasis on the importance of financing defense investment. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Hudson Institute’s Walter P. Stern Chair, will give the keynote address.Hudson thanks the Czech PPF Group for making this summit possible.Learn more: https://www.hudson.org/events/central...0:00 | Opening Remarks Maria Luís Albuquerque, Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union, European Commission19:18 | A View from BelgradeAna Ivković, Vice-Governor, National Bank of Serbia44:35 | Central Europe as an Economic EngineDr. Lars-Hendrik Röller, Founder & Chair, Berlin Global Dialogue, former Chief Economic Advisor to Chancellor Merkel and G7/G20 SherpaPeter Rough, Director and Senior Fellow, Center on Europe and Eurasia, Hudson Institute1:30:22 | Panel Discussion: Bolstering European Resilience Through InvestmentH.E. Dr. Anca Dragu, Governor of the National Bank of MoldovaH.E. Dr. Bogdan Ivan, Minister of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, RomaniaAmb. Tomáš Pojar, National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, former Czech Ambassador to IsraelH.E. Barna Tánczos, Minister of Finance, RomaniaModeratorMatthew Boyse, Senior Fellow, Center on Europe and Eurasia, Hudson Institute2:36:59 | Lunch Discussion: The Transatlantic Partnership in a New EraAmb. Nikki R. Haley, Walter P. Stern Chair, Hudson InstituteJan Růžička, Chief External Affairs Officer, PPF GroupPeter Rough, Director and Senior Fellow, Center on Europe and Eurasia, Hudson Institute3:15:21 | Ukraine as a Source of Economic and Security DynamismH.E. Dr. Yuriy Heletiy, Deputy Governor, National Bank of UkraineH.E. Dr. Olga Zykova, Deputy Finance Minister, UkraineLuke Coffey, Senior Fellow, Center on Europe and Eurasia, Hudson Institute

Join Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg for a conversation with Hudson Senior Fellow Rebeccah Heinrichs. Minister Stoltenberg will provide remarks about the nexus between security and economic strength from a Norwegian perspective. Then he and Dr. Heinrichs will discuss the security environment for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the importance of economic security and alliance cohesion.

As the security situation in Afghanistan deteriorates, the Trump administration should reassess America’s approach to the country and US strategic posture in the region. At Hudson, General Jack Keane (Ret.) will deliver a keynote address. Then a panel of experts will discuss the future of Afghanistan and US interests in South and Central Asia.

Join Senior Fellow Michael Doran, director of Hudson’s Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, for an event with Bernard Haykel, a new Hudson senior fellow and a leading authority on Saudi Arabia’s political, societal, and religious landscape.They will discuss Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s vision for the kingdom, including his ambitious social and economic reforms. The event will also address the evolving geopolitical landscape of the Gulf region, the persistent challenge Iran poses, and China’s growing strategic presence in the Middle East.

On a near-daily basis, Chinese forces encircle Taiwan, interfere with Philippine fishing and shipping, and intrude on Japan’s territory. China’s leaders regularly threaten these United States allies with further escalation—including invasion—if they do not yield to Beijing’s demands. Fortunately, the new administration has made protecting US allies from China its top defense priority.But to do so while also seeking to rein in defense spending, the US will need to use emerging technologies and tactics that include uncrewed systems, new munitions, and cyber and electronic warfare. This will require the Department of the Navy to move away from traditional ways of fighting and embrace the approaches on display in Ukraine and the Middle East.Hudson Institute released a series of reports during the last year detailing how the US Navy and Marine Corps can regain the advantage against China. At Sea Air Space 2025, Senior Fellows Bryan Clark and Timothy A. Walton will discuss their findings with a panel of government and industry experts tasked with implementing these ideas.